The first-person shooter genre has been one of the most popular in all of gaming for decades, and each year seems to be packed with bigger and better titles to please single-player, multi-player, and co-op gamers. While many of these games innovate in new and exciting ways, many first-person shooters use the same fundamental building blocks that players have grown accustomed to.
However, while familiarity can often mean that players know what to expect with a new FPS, it also means that several bad habits can quickly jump from one game to another. While it's impossible for any gamer to play perfectly, understanding which bad habits to fix can elevate anyone's performance to the next level.
Most Players Aim Too Low
While there are exceptions, most first-person shooters let players deal increased damage when they land headshots. However, when starting a game or spawning, the "default" aim height is rarely even with head level.
Players also tend to aim too low as they move to make up for the screen space that their weapon takes up. This is a bad habit that offending players need to end. Moving with the crosshair at eye level will save valuable seconds that would otherwise be spent re-aiming at enemies and can differentiate between success and failure.
Most Players Don't Memorize Multiplayer Maps
Competitive multiplayer shooters do reward reflexes and ai, but whether it's the best multiplayer maps in Call of Duty, success is also dependent on fully understanding the available play areas.
Many players have the bad habit of running around maps randomly looking for action, but memorizing map layouts ensures players know where chokepoints, flanking opportunities, and weapon spawns (if relevant) are. Informed movement turns engagements into tactical encounters instead of coin flips of twitch reflexes and luck.
Most Players Don't Reload At The Right Time
Reloading may not seem as important as firing, but knowing when to do it can be the difference between an average and a good player. Players are obviously vulnerable while they reload their weapons, so it's important not to do it too often, but it's also a bad habit to have to reload in the middle of the action.
That being the case, it's usually a good idea to reload immediately after a kill with fast-reloading firearms, but players should find a quiet hall or room to make the change with larger guns that take longer to reload. Aso, in a pinch, it's faster to swap to a pistol or other secondary weapon if a gun runs out of ammo mid-fight.
Most Players Don't Focus On Objectives
There are Switch, and PCs, and most of them include some assortment of objective-based modes like Capture the Flag or King of the Hill.
However, many players have the bad habit of playing everything like it's a game of Deathmatch. It can be tempting to focus on getting kills instead of playing the objectives, but it's an urge that gamers must resist. While combat is still necessary for objective modes, it's usually secondary to other play elements.
Most Players Don't Jump Enough
Not all games allow jumping, but players don't tend to get off the ground enough in games that let them. Jumping may seem like it would draw unwanted attention to the player doing it, but it actually makes it much harder for enemies to line up shots.
Instead of having to for four directions of movement, players shooting jumping players have to worry about six. Jumping is particularly useful when coming around corners. Most opponents will be aiming at standard head level, so appearing higher than expected will force the opponent to waste valuable seconds adjusting.
Most Players Don't Play Multiplayer With A Party
There are many great FPS games without multiplayer, but never playing those that do have online play in a party is one bad habit that players need to break. Effective microphone usage is rare in matchmade parties, so playing with a pre-formed group enables more consistent and valuable communication to get the most out of a game's tactical possibilities.
Playing with a party also lets players learn each other's playstyles and learn to play more cooperatively instead of being with new people each match. While these perks are helpful in any game mode, they significantly impact objective-based scenarios.
Most Players Keep The Default Settings
The last thing that many layers want to do after booting up a favorite game is spend time rummaging through settings menus, but it's something that everyone should do at least once in every FPS game that they play. Players should look out for two types of settings: joystick/mouse sensitivity and button/key layouts.
Sensitivity changes how fast aiming reticles move with input, and button layouts let players remap each game function to a switch or key of their choosing. Other settings worth checking out when they're available include text size, field of view, and various accessibility options.
Most Player Over-Conserve Power Weapons
Most first-person shooters, whether they be single-player or multiplayer-focused, feature certain powerful weapons with limited ammunition. Given their scarcity, many players have the bad habit of being overly conservative with using them.
It can be tempting to save these rare firearms, such as several of the most iconic weapons in the Halo franchise, for the absolute perfect moment, but doing so becomes a mistake when it comes at the price of not using them during other valuable situations. It's a bad feeling to be defeated or reach the end of a level only to realize that several powerful weapons haven't been utilized at all.
Most Players Only Play The Newest First-Person Shooters
Most of the most popular multiplayer shooters frequently release new games, and many players immediately abandon older games for the latest versions. While it's understandable to want the most recent title from a beloved franchise, there are several reasons to jump into older titles. The first advantage to breaking the "only new" habit is that it's easier on the pocketbook.
Previous franchise entries almost always see a significant price drop after their successors come out, so waiting a bit can save hundreds of dollars over a few years. Second, it often takes time for newer releases to hit their stride. In this age of constant patches and fixes, and can feel good to play something that's already gotten past its growing pains.
Most Players Grind For XP Instead Of Playing How They Want
In the earlier days of online games, progression and unlocks were eared via skill and performance. Now, for better or worse, several of the most popular FPS games utilize a Battle system. Often, these es are tied to timed challenges that require a specific style of play or game mode to complete.
While it can be satisfying to chase the carrot on the end of the stick, many players have the bad habit of grinding these rewards instead of enjoying the gameplay and modes they actually want to play. Fear of missing out can be a powerful motivator, but it's important to that games are games, not jobs.